“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem.” Daniel 6:10 NLT
Christians struggle today as to when is it appropriate to disobey the government. What would be a legitimate reason to ignore certain laws and encourage others to do the same. I’m sorry, I’m not about to give you an approved list which enables you to defy the government, but I will give us all an example of what is right when the time is right.
The prophet Daniel lived his entire adult life in captivity. Captured as a teenager and brought to Babylon during the destruction of Jerusalem, Daniel proved to be an example of one who completely trusted and obeyed God whatever the circumstances. He never wavered, and the Lord used Daniel to work out and reveal His purposes. Now in his eighties, and still well respected by those who now held him captive, Daniel was about to put his faith and obedience on display.
Daniel was one of the top officials in the new kingdom of Medo-Persia serving Darius the king. Darius’ favoritism of his highly regarded official brough envy among his colleagues so much they concocted a plan to get rid of him. They convinced the king to sign a law stating that “for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human— (except Darius the king)—will be thrown into the den of lions.” (Dan.6:7 nlt) They knew Daniel would not comply, seeing him three times a day praying towards Jerusalem, they got him, well, sort of.
If you’re familiar with the story of ‘Daniel in the lions’ den’ you know it has a happy ending. Daniel knew that if he obeyed the king’s law, he would be disobeying God. So, he did what he always did, he reached out to God for help in his daily prayers. Daniel had no assurance that God would deliver him, but he knew that He could, and he was not going to disobey the Lord God who had blessed him all his life. Let the same be said of us.
“And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over’……But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.’” Mark 5:34, 36 NLT
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Is just having faith good enough? The phrase ‘have faith’ gets tossed around as if it’s a cure-all for what ails you. Seriously, if you are in the habit of using that phrase, what is your basis for using it? Is it hope, a feeling, something mysterious, or is it an assurance you have and if so, what is the basis for that assurance? The world defines faith as complete trust or confidence in something or somebody. I cannot disagree with that for that is what faith is. Now back to the first question. Is just having faith good enough? Well, yes, it depends on where your faith is placed. This week we have two stories were knowing where to place your faith is a matter of life or death.
After Jesus’ short stay in the Gerasenes region where He healed a demon-possessed man He headed back across the lake to Capernaum. As usual a crowd had formed rather quickly on the shore after His arrival with the help of old-fashion social media, word of mouth on foot. A synagogue official, a layman similar to deacons and elders today, was one of first people to greet him dropping to his knees and crying out, “My little daughter is dying, Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” (Mk.5:23 nlt) The official, Jarius by name, knew his daughter was near death and Jesus was her only hope. Jarius most likely heard Jesus speak in the synagogue when Jesus visited, and he knew of His miracles. Jarius placed his faith in the only one capable of healing His daughter.
Jesus agreed to go with Jarius and so did the crowds as they forced their way to get closer to Him as they traveled to Jarius’ home. In among the crowd was a woman who was severely sick with constant bleeding from an incurable disease. “She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.” (Mk.5:26 nlt) She too, like Jarius’ daughter was in a desperate situation although her death was not imminent it was certain without help from above. This woman, whose name we don’t know, was one of the many to had seen and heard about Jesus. She knew He could stop the bleeding. Her faith was so strong in Him knowing if she could only reach out to touch the hem of His garment she would be healed. And that is what she did, “Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.” (Mk.5:29 nlt) With so many people crowding around Jesus bumping into Him and touching Him, He specifically felt the power of healing faith go from Him to someone. It was an immediate healing for the woman.
Jesus then asked who touched Him. The disciples must have had a puzzled look on their faces when they answered, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” (Mk.5:31 nlt) But Jesus knew someone did and kept looking around until she came forward. Jesus didn’t pursue this to call out the woman, but to afford her the chance to praise God and tell others what God has for her. Jesus was not going to let this opportunity go by without recognizing her publicly. She had been a social outcast for so many years, and it’s time to turn the tables. Those who evade her will now see she is no longer considered to be ‘unclean’ but whole and fully healed. Jesus confirmed this by saying, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” (Mk.5:34 nlt)
I guess you can say in a way, it was a hope, but a hope in Jesus. It was a feeling in that she felt it instantly. It certainly felt mysterious, but it was the power of God touching her and stopping the bleeding. We can say for sure; she based her faith on Jesus, that is where she had the assurance of being healed by putting her trust and confidence in Him.
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We now go back to Jarius who has just witnessed miraculous healing before his eyes. But as they proceed to Jarius’ home, he received news that his daughter had died. In hearing this Jesus encourages Jarius by saying, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” (Mk.5:36 nlt) Jesus is reminding Jarius of the faith he had when he first approached Jesus about his daughter’s condition. There is nothing impossible for Jesus to do, even raising the dead.
Jesus suddenly stops the crowd from following Him and took with Him only Peter, James, and John the rest of the way to Jarius’ home. They were greeted by weeping and wailing as professional mourners were already called in, as was the custom, when a death occurred. Burial would soon take place in the Jewish culture as it is still practiced today. But Jesus would have no part of it. “He went inside and asked, ‘Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.’” (Mk.5:39 nlt) He knew what He was going to do as the people laughed and ridiculed Him. So, Jesus sent these people out of the house for their unbelief, and took the girl’s mother, father, and the disciples to the girl’s room.
They entered the room and, “Holding her hand, he said to her, ‘Talitha koum’ which means ‘Little girl, get up!’” (Mk.5:41 nlt) The twelve-year-old got up immediately and Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Jesus not only raised her from the dead but made sure she had something to eat. Jesus’ reference to ‘she’s only sleeping’ is used to describe her death was only temporary. He was going to raise her, and the people who laughed will know it is a true miracle because they knew she was pronounced dead and funeral arrangements were being made.
Jesus performed two miracles concerning life and death in which faith was a factor. Not in our faith itself but in having faith in the one who can perform miracles. We may not need to exercise our faith in a life-or-death manner, but if we do, or when we do, it is good to know where to place our faith. Yes, it is OK to just have faith as long as it is in Jesus Christ, God the Son.
Corporate Executives in notable positions of authority are subject to an unexpected crisis happening at any time. How they deal with it unveils their character a good bit of the time. Some may panic, but most do not. Some may be quick to assign blame, rather than responding to the situation. Others respond by doing their best work while under pressure. The prophet Daniel in the Old Testament did his best work best while under pressure.
Daniel was one of the Jewish captives brought to Babylon trained to become one of king’s advisors serving in his administration. An unexpected crisis developed within the king’s entire advisory staff. Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had a terrifying dream calling his advisors to tell him the dream and then give it its meaning. The advisors who were known as his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, would not attempt to answer the king’s order without knowing first what he had dreamt. The king, perhaps wise to their previous inaccuracies and deceptions, demanded they tell him his dream first, and then interpret it. He reasoned if they could reveal his dream, then they would be able to give him its interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar demanded they follow his command and failing to do so will result in their execution. They could not fulfill the king’s command, as a result they were ordered to be put to death.
Meanwhile, back in Daniel’s office, Daniel is confronted by the commander of the king’s guard. We may question why Daniel wasn’t called with the others to interpret the king’s dream. It could have been Daniel willing kept himself away from the heathen practices of his colleagues, or perhaps he wasn’t called due to being a Hebrew, he wouldn’t have knowledge of their pagan gods. People in the Near East during those days believed that gods spoke to human beings in dreams. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter. Daniel was one of the king’s men, so he was included, guilty by association.
Daniel has a remarkable reaction signifying his ability to work well under pressure when Arioch came to kill him. The Bible says, “Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. He asked Arioch, ‘Why has the king issued such a harsh decree’?” (Dan.2:14b-15a nlt) Daniel didn’t panic, not even the slightest. If he did it didn’t show. It was just another day at the office for him. What Daniel had was faith in his God who had sent him there and was with him as he worked under the pressure of being an advisor to the king of the Babylonian Empire. Daniel knew the Lord’s hand was on him come what may. He trusted God with the outcome enabling him to concentrate on his work in a professional and godly manner. A valid lesson for us to follow.
“The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.” Daniel 1:5 NLT
The last military draft in the United States occurred over fifty years ago on December 7, 1972, during the Vietnam War. America has had an all-volunteer military since that day. Men drafted back in the day and men and women serving today have the same goals to protect and serve their country. Though many things have changed over fifty years, the one constant is all who serve are put on government support for their daily needs. It is on the government’s dime recruits are trained for service and their provisions met. Once trained, military personnel are put into service in their field of specialized training.
Four young Hebrew men found themselves drafted into service not for their nation, but for the Babylonian Empire. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked the city of Jerusalem in 605 B.C., taking sacred articles from the Temple and taking captive people of royalty and those from noble families. He then instructed to have the best and brightest of the young men trained for service in his kingdom. There were daily provisions, training in the language and culture along with astrology, astronomy, mathematics, and agriculture in this three-year training period.
The four young men were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They were given new names to assimilate into the culture; Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The goal of these young men would also be to protect and serve the kingdom they are in. Being in a pagan culture, there will be great challenges to overcome, but it was the Lord who placed them there, and all four of them knew it.
Every Christian is drafted into service for the Lord. He does provide for us and our training never ends. There are challenges in living in a secular society, but just as those four young Hebrew men were placed there by God, we are placed here. May we know it and face those challenges by faith with His help.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:1, 14 NLT
The term ‘faith’ when referencing Christianity means different things to different people. It is used in a general sense as ‘people of faith.’ Some Christians say, ‘I am a person of faith,’ ‘I have faith,’ and ‘you got to have faith,’ etc… There are more examples we can name, but the point is numerous people speak of their Christian faith in general terms.
Christians who speak specifically of their Christian faith refer to God’s saving plan of salvation. God sent His Son to die on the cross for their sins. It is by grace one is saved through ‘faith’ by accepting Christ as savior.
The keys to the game as referred to in the sports world is, God being holy can only accept a perfect, holy sacrifice in the forgiveness of sin. Another key is we must acknowledge our sin and our need to be forgiven and made right with God. We must repent and confess our sin believing that Jesus Christ is the only perfect, holy sacrifice. We must come to realize Jesus is indeed God the Son able to save us from our sin and eternal death.
World history recognizes a man named Jesus who walked the earth over 2,000 years ago. There are few people who dispute this by agreeing to the content of the historical Jesus in history books. Believing only in the historical Jesus is equivalent to saying you are a person of faith, believing only He was a man who walked the earth doing great things. If your faith carry’s you so far as to admit Jesus was sent from God but far short of believing He is God the Son, your understanding of salvation is distorted. If you think just having faith, believing there is a God, doing good deeds, and learning what you can from Jesus’ example, is enough to get by in this world and into heaven, you’re mistaken.
Jesus was not just a good man, a good teacher, a prophet, or miracle worker, He is God the Son. If Jesus was only good man, His death for the sacrifice of our sin would be meaningless. How specific is your faith? Is your faith in Jesus, God the Son, having accepted Him as your savior, or is your faith in the historical Jesus, a good man who walked the earth.
October 31st is recognized around the world as Halloween or ‘All Hallows’ Eve.’ The meaning of ‘hallows’ is ‘saints’ in the Christian tradition, All Saints Day is November 1st. However, Halloween today is nothing about Christian saints and I will leave it there. Today is Reformation Day, the day celebrated by Christians in recognizing Martin Luther’s ‘95 Theses’ nailed to the University of Wittenberg’s chapel door in 1517.
Martin Luther was a German monk and a professor of biblical studies at the University of Wittenberg who became disillusioned with the error he saw in the Catholic church, particularly the selling of indulgences. He posted his ‘95 Theses’ to spark conversation and debate among his colleagues calling for reform in the Catholic church. This, however, led to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
Luther was convinced through the reading of Scripture that salvation was by the grace of God alone and faith alone in Jesus Christ. It was not by any merit or works on our part that contributes to salvation and entrance into heaven. This was in contradiction to what he had observed within the church. Luther was also a staunch believer that every person should have access to the Bible and be able to read it for themselves. He had translated the entire Bible into German.
Stephen Nichols of Ligonier Ministries writes, “The real main character in Reformation Day is not Luther. It’s the Word of God. What Luther discovered as a monk is that for centuries, the true teachings of the Word of God had been hidden by century upon century of tradition. That’s what Reformation Day is about: it’s about pulling back the covers and releasing the power of the Word of God and the beauty and the truth of the gospel. That’s why we celebrate Reformation Day.” (1)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
“And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea……Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:24a, 26b ESV
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An act of God as defined today is an uncontrollable event such as an earthquake, tornado, hurricane and other related storms. Insurance companies rely on information regarding these disasters in settling payments to cover damages as a result of an occurrence in which the policy holder had no control over. When we think of natural disasters, we cannot help but see the great power and strength that are accompanied with them. The inability and helplessness we feel is real as there is not a thing we can do to deter them. It is truly out of our hands. The media in reporting these disasters and the insurance companies in dealing with them are theologically correct when they call it an act of God. It is truly an act of God.
Jesus’s disciples experienced an act of God in a fierce storm that came upon them as they attempted to cross the Sea of Galilee. Storms were common in the region and often came about without any warning especially on the water. Most of Jesus’s disciples would have been familiar with the storms known to affect the region. A number of them were experienced fishermen who spent long hours on the sea as their livelihood. Yet, scripture records the terror the disciples felt as a result of the storm. Their experience and knowledge were no match for the magnitude of the storm. They felt helpless and were indeed helpless. They cried out to Jesus, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” (Mt. 8:25b esv) Whether they knew that Jesus could truly save them in that hour the Bible doesn’t tell us, but the only hope these men had been in the one who they had seen perform miracles as they followed Him. So, they called on Him to save them.
While it may be safe to say the disciples had a good idea that Jesus could help in their dire need, they certainly were not prepared for end results. Jesus arose after being rattled out of a sound sleep by His panicking followers, He called them out for their lack of faith, and then rebuked both the winds and sea. A great storm on the sea was rebuked and a great calm came over the sea that not even a ripple was upon it.
The Bible says, “And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Mt. 8:27) The disciples were in the presence of God the Son. Those of us who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior have the spirit of Christ within us, the Holy Spirit. The storms in our lives may seem too much to bear at times, but we have the assurance of God with us, Immanuel, who can rebuke the storms and bring calm into our lives, truly an Act of God!
“Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” Matthew 17:19b NLT
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The Lord has gifted each of us with individual skills to use for His service. For most of us these skills are devoted to the workplace where we are to serve Him. Others use their God-given skills within the family, homeschooling, caring for children and the elderly. Still others are uniquely gifted in various forms of arts and entertainment along with those of athletic skills to use as a platform in sharing Jesus. We all have one thing in common, whatever abilities we possess enabling us to perform the work we are doing has been given by God our creator.
Jesus’s disciples had no more than the skills of fisherman but were empowered by Him to carry out the ministry of teaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons. The disciples were successful in that work going out in pairs of two with the abilities Jesus gave them. (Mk.6:12) But sometime later after they had returned and Jesus was not with them, a man approached them asking for his son to be delivered from a demon, and they could not do it. When they had pressed Jesus for an answer, He said to them, “You don’t have enough faith, I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Mt.19:20 nlt) Their failure was due to self-reliance. They forgot the ability to cast out demons came from God the Son, it wasn’t a skill they developed by working hard for it. Jesus said if they had faith (in Him) as small as a mustard seed nothing would be impossible.
Often, we become complacent and maybe too comfortable in our ability to do our jobs needing no outside help. We become self-reliant on the abilities God has given us as if they are there due to our knowledge or gained experience alone. It is true, we can and should continue to learn, grow, and develop our skills to the optimum level possible. But there are times in our lives where all the training, studying, and experiences are not enough to solve the problem at hand. We need the Lord to intervene by asking Him in faith to help us move that mountain and not depend on self-reliance. It won’t work.
“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NLT
Chapter 4 of the book of Esther opens with the disastrous news of the scheduled destruction of the Jews reaching every province in the kingdom. “And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.” (Es.4:3 nlt) In the city of Susa in front of the king’s gate was Mordecai with his clothes torn and covered with sackcloth and ashes, the sign of mourning. The news of the king’s decree was unconscionable and caused great sorrow to every Jew in the Persian Empire, but especially for Mordecai. He realized it was his resistance to Haman that such a genocidal edit was given against all the Jews.
Innocent people are often considered guilty by association in our world today. To satisfy a self-perceived wrongdoing an entire class of people are found guilty. Mordecai clearly did nothing wrong, but Haman’s hatred for his actions were inferred through the entire Jewish race. Modern-day Christians are subject to mass hatred for their standing on Biblical principles. One or two individuals are referenced in committing perceived hate speech, intolerance, or proselytizing in the public square and Christianity is now subject to scrutiny by the authorities. This should not deter any Christian of speaking the truth in love.
Members of the royal court, the Queen’s maids and the eunuchs took notice of Mordecai, also a royal official, with his clothes torn and in mourning. After hearing of Mordecai’s appearance Esther sent out a change of clothes for him. She desperately wanted to know what had happened but couldn’t meet him inside the king’s gate the way he was dressed. To impress upon Esther how serious of a problem he had, he refused the clothing. Esther then sent out Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who attended to her to speak to Mordecai. “Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.” (Es.4:7 nlt) Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree which he was able to obtain being a royal official, asking him to give it to Esther and for her to go to the king and beg his favor concerning the death sentence on the Jews.
Esther may have been queen and her husband the king, but she was put in a tough spot. It was a matter of life or death for Esther at this point. No one was allowed to make an uninvited visit to the king by entering the inner courtyard unless they were called by the king. It meant instant death unless the king raised his golden scepter. It was a matter of security as unannounced visits were viewed as possible assassination attempts on the king. Esther revealed she hadn’t been summoned to the king for thirty days and may certainly cause suspicion if she entered the court.
It’s hard for us to imagine a governing system as in those days. Yes, we also provide protection for our leaders, but to consider one’s wife as a possible threat would seem a little over the top. But maybe not so much in the days in which we live. Governments around the world are becoming more corrupt and the lack of trust within and outside the government is increasing year after year. Satan is actively busy making his moves as his time is starting to run out.
When Mordecai receives Esther’s answer, he is quick to spell out the truth. “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed.” (Es.4:13 nlt) Mordecai tells her if she remains silent and doesn’t do anything that God will still save His people but by other means. But perhaps this was the very reason why she became queen. Mordecai had faith God would not abandon His people and would indeed rescue them. He persuaded Esther by explaining she may die either way, by the king’s body guards or as part of Haman’s extermination plot.
Esther reveals her true spirit, courage, and faith in God. She tells Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa and fast for three days, and she would do the same with her maids. Normal fasting was one day, but Esther asked for three due to the gravity of the situation. Scripture doesn’t mention prayer with this fast, but they always go together. No doubt they will also be praying to the Lord God for Esther’s uninvited approach to the king. Esther goes into action with conviction, courage, and faith in God. She submitted herself to God’s will whatever the outcome.
Esther provides a lesson for Christians today not be silent in the injustices of our brothers and sisters in Christ when we are able to do something. Speaking out against the wrongs and taking Esther-like action submitting ourselves to God may get us into trouble, but if we don’t respond, God will call someone else to do the work. It might as well be us. We are here ‘for such a time as this.’
“Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.’” John 11:25 NLT
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The story is told of another miracle perform by Jesus in the eleventh chapter of the gospel of John. It is also the basis for His fifth “I AM.” This particular one is perhaps the greatest of them all. Jesus raised a person from the dead, one who had been dead four days. The person was Lazarus, a very close and personal friend of Jesus along with Lazarus’s sisters Mary and Martha. When Jesus heard that his friend Lazarus was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was before he left in response to the news. (Jn.11:6) The question immediately comes to mind, why? Why did he wait two days?
Some have suggested that Jesus knew that Lazarus was already dead when the messenger’s arrived to tell Him that His friend was sick. Perhaps so, but there seems to be a deeper explanation. For those present at Lazarus’s resurrection and for those of us in our day, it is a matter of trust (or faith) in Jesus Christ. Do we believe He is in control of every portion of our lives, that He is never late, and that He loves us knowing what is best for us? Do we believe He is God the Son, and have faith that nothing is impossible for Him to do?
Raising Lazarus from the dead was not impossible for Jesus to do, He is the resurrection and the life. Jesus also said, “Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” (Jn.11:26 nlt) We are assured of a place in heaven and eternal life if we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, God the Son.
Jesus is speaking to you and me when He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, (insert your name)?” (Jn.11:25-26 nlt)
Word for the Soul 